I happened to be Kota Kinabalu in November 2004 and the Borneo Orchid Society of Sabah (BOSS) held their Annual Orchid Show. I think it was held at Maksak Sabah.
I like the abbreviation B.O.S.S
Although the place wasn’t really that big, there were quite a number of different types of Orchids on display. I may be wrong but I believe most of them can be found in Sabah itself.
I do not know the names of the Orchids. In fact, I am not do at identifying flowers so I shall not embarrass myself and as they say “A Picture Paints a Thousand Words”, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
There were a lot more types of Orchids that were on display and if I were to post all of them, it would be a very long post. In fact, I never thought there were so many types of Orchids out there and many of which are not just your average looking ones. They are a very spectacular species of flowering plants out there. Some actually look fake until you touch them.
These are flowers taken from the Kinabalu National Park up Crocker Range in 2002. It is the first State Park of Sabah set up in 1964 and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000. The first in Malaysia. If I was a Sabahan, I would certainly be proud of this status and for the lush landscape and natural resources that Sabah has. No matter how Singapore tries, it will never be able to match up to what Sabah can offer in this area. It is God’s gift to Sabah.
The Kinabalu National Park at 1653 meters high is the first start off point to climbing Mount Kinabalu which peaks at 4095.2 meters. There is a lush garden which is home to many orchids and plants unique to the region. It is indeed a sight to behold and the 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu City is certainly worth the effort. Along the way, do drop by Kundasang. In fact, the view up Crocker Range is quite magnificent and if you are in Kota Kinabalu, you should make the trip up even if you are not climbing the peak of Mount Kinabalu.
Well, this is not a real Rafflesia but the actual one does grow very big
The view from the park is speculator and I cannot help but being humbled by it
With that I made my way back to Kota Kinabalu City. This is definitely not my last visit to Kinabalu National Park and I shall return.
If you are following my blog, you would noticed that the pictures are a lot bigger this time. Well, I finally found out where to set the photo display size in WordPress and it definitely helps. I would stick to this size for all future blogs.
I read a lot about InfraRed Filter in 2002 and being excited, I bought an IR filter from the US for my Olympus C2100UZ camera. These are the photos I’ve taken from the Prince Philip Park in Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It certainly gives a different perspective on things.
The science behind Infrared is rather confusing even for a greek like me so I shall not try to explain anything. I enjoy taking IR photos as it provides a different perspective of things around us. Everything becomes more surreal and there is simply no bad pictures in IR photography. Leaves are whiter and sky gets darker. It puts you in an alternative world.
My present camera does not support adding lenses filter as it does not have any threads to clip or screw any filters on but I will see if I could find a way to do it. I would also need to check if it does work with the camera as technically most digital camera would come equip with IR blocking filters in the camera itself.
Hope you enjoy the pictures. I will of course post the real world Prince Philip Park photos in the future.
Kota Belud in Sabah is not your typical rustic town of Sabah, it is the home of the West Coast Bajau people. The Bajaus are your typical seafaring people and in most parts of the Malay Archipelago, there are still groups of Bajaus who still continue to live a seaborne lifestyle. The Bajaus people is the second largest group of ethnic people of Sabah, the Kadazandusun being the largest.
Like the other bajaus in the distant past, the West Coast Bajaus were seafarers but with constant contact and trading with the Kadazandusun people, they slowly move landward and started subsistence farming.
The Bajau of Kota Belud are renowned horsemen and are dubbed the “Cowboys of the East”. In researching for the post, I could not find any article on how the West Coast Bajau gain their riding skills but I guess could speculate. Horses were not indigenous to Sabah or Borneo Island for that matter and I believe they must been brought in by the British under the administration of the North Borneo Chartered Company and subsequently as a British Colony. There are several turf clubs and riding clubs in Sabah now so I guess the West Coast Bajau people may have worked for the British as jockeys and have perfected their horse riding skills.
In November 2002, I was in Kota Kinabalu and I was excited that the Kota Belud Tamu Besar (Big Market) Festival was held during my stay and I had to make a visit.
The Majestic Mount Kinabalu
Arrived at Kota Belud
Kota Belud is a small rustic town with a very rustic fell to it.
First sign that it is a cowboy town is the gun shop. I have not seen anyone in Kota Kinabalu carrying guns around apart from the Police and the Army so a gun shop is certainly quite different.
Not to be outdone by Hollywood, Kota Belud has its own sign in the hill
There is a small town centre but much of Kota Belud are largely rural
More pictures of Mount Kinabalu
Inching nearer the Central Market and the horse displays
Goat glazing in the field
In most parts of the world which I’ve been to, you get fined if you illegal park your car but in Kota Belud, you get find if your animals are found to be roaming outside freely. The sign said that if any animal is found in the streets or roaming wild, would be caught and the owners would be fined. If the animal is not claimed within 14 days, it would be auctioned off.
It is certainly a crowded market day
Betel Nuts sold at the market
Seafood being sold at the Tamu Besar Kota Belud
Conch flesh being sold at the market
Backpacks of the Bajau
I did see several ladies carrying this in my earlier trip and it was definitely a good idea to carry one especially on a market day like today. It is certainly eco-friendlier than plastic bags and free the hands to do more shopping
Now off to the horse display
The West Coast Bajau are very colorful people and they do take pride in dressing up their horses too
The VIPs at the Event
A little video clip of the event
A Crowd is gathering to watch the performance
The horse and his rider taking a rest in the shade
Not to be outdone, here comes the water buffalo
The horses riding without their costumes
The Tug of War match between two groups of horsemen
A young horse waiting for his spa treatment
I did a little shopping before proceeding back to Kota Kinabalu after a very eventful day. It was certainly a totally different experience.
With that, I’ve ended my visit to Kota Belud
Would a 100% Discount Shop means that everything is free ?
Chung Hwa School in Kota Belud
Yikes! Roaming cows
A cute traffic adversary which said “Don’t Cross Like a Chicken. Look Right, Look Left, Look Right then Cross”.
Hope you enjoy this post as I’ve enjoyed being there in Kota Belud.
I visited 2 mini zoos in Kota Kinabalu during my visit in the early 2000s. I applauded the effort and care for nature these people have to showcase what Sabah has to offer in terms of its wildlife.
There were several delays but I was excited when it was announced that the Sabah 1st Zoo, the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park was officially opened in January 2007. Naturally, I love animals and I visited the wildlife park when I visited Kota Kinabalu in May of 2007. This park is located some 15km away from KK City.
Inching closer to the entrance
The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park currently occupies a land area of about 280 acres and is one of the largest wildlife park in Malaysia
Blue and Gold Macaws
Wreathed Hornbill
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Chital Deers
A Sumatran Rhino camouflaged in the mud
Bananas on the tree
Emu
Borneo Pygmy Elephants
Stork
A sleepy Malayan Tiger resting in the afternoon Sun
It found another nice position to sleep
The playful Orang Utan
An Orang Utan posing for pictures
A Borneon Gibbon at play
Lesser Mousedeer
Red Muntjac
Tambeng
Who’s that on my head ?
Ostrich
A baby proboscis monkey wondering how a key taste like
The Male Proboscis Monkey with his harem
A Male Sambar Deer on the look out
Sambar Deers feeding
When I visited in May 2007, parts of the park was still under construction
With that we ended our visit to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, it is definitely a very good effort especially since this is the first zoo in Sabah. Now 5 years later, I am sure there would be a lot more animals in the park and I would certainly want to visit it again in the future.
Prior to the opening of the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in 2007 in Sabah, there were several mini-zoos set up by the some enterprising individuals with the passion for caring for the wildlife in Borneo. Most of the animals in the zoo are rescued animals and birds from the wild or were left abandoned.
One of which was the one I visited in 2002. We did passed a white metal bridge overlooking a river and the zoo is about 6km after that. I was informed that this mini zoo was in Kimanis and currently is no longer in existence.
The White Metal Bridge over the River
There is no name to the zoo, it was just called “Zoo”
Muntjac (Common Barking Deer)
Sambar Deer
This deer was rescued in Tuaran
A pair of baby crocodiles
White Peafowl
Guinea Fowl
Peacock with the Sambar Deer
Lesser Whistling Ducks
White Muscovy Ducks
Horned Billed Goose
The Common Porcupines can be found locally in the forested lowlands and highlands of Kinabalu
The Malayan Tiger is not indigenous to Borneo Island. This tiger comes from the Melaka Zoo
In the early 1990s, Ostrich farming was introduced to Sabah
Owls
A very exhausted Common Palm Civet aka Musang
Very tired Masked Palm Civet
Great Argus
Short Tailed Mongoose
Wreathed Hornbill
Crested Fireback Pheasants
Crested Goshawk
A Very Happy Sun Bear
Monitor Lizard doing the “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” .. well almost
Sleepy Bearcat
A Working Horse
Chickens
Ducks
Leopard Cats
Bornean Gibbon
Emu
Rhea
Sorry for the long picture post. There is actually a lot to see in a mini zoo and I really enjoyed myself. I would certainly want to revisit if I know where this mini zoo is and if it is still in existence.
With an ethnicity rich and racially integrated society like Sabah Malaysia, it was its State Government goal to promote the importance of culture in its development agenda. With that, the first Sabah International Folkore Festival was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia between May 29 to June 2nd 2001. This coincided with both the Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival of Sabah and the Colours of Malaysia Month. The first folklore festival kicked off with 11 countries participating namely from Malaysia, Poland, Taiwan, Austria, Croatia, Canada, Mali, Agentina, Brunei, China and Turkey.
A presentation of the folklore festival was held at the Sunday Gaya Street Market on June 3rd 2001 where I happened to be at. As this was taken some 11 years ago, I am unable to identify the countries but do enjoy the photos.
The 6th Sabah International Folklore Festival will be held on 8th – 17th July 2012 so if you are in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, do drop by and enjoy cultural dances from across the globe in the beautiful land of KK.
This year, I was in Kota Kinabalu for about 14 days between November 23rd and December 8th. It was certainly an enjoyable trip and certainly a much needed break from the mundane routine of work back home in Singapore. This is my 14th year which I visited this beautiful State.
I had the time to reflect on my flight back to Singapore, all the lovely time I’ve spent. This year, I visited the ICT Fiesta, went hunting for Sabah Snake Grass, had lots of yummy food, visited the Logos Hope and walked around the beautiful waterfront and more. I would certainly be doing it again.
Kota Kinabalu has certainly changed a lot since the first time I visited the State. The spot where Warisan Square was the bus terminal and it was buzzing with activities all day long. The waterfront was just a pathway walk and the waterfront in front of Wisma Merdeka were lined with many ferry boards to take us to the islands. Suria Sabah was still part of the Sabah Port before it shifted part of the operations to Sepanggar . There are just a lot of changes during the last few years.
I am glad that parts of the city still retains its rustic charm, blending both the old and the new. This is certainly true along Gaya Street and the Segama area.
In a way, I am sad to see new shopping complexes sprouting out in the city, bringing the end to some of the old charm of Kota Kinabalu. Although these brought about new shops selling new products to the people of Sabah, many of them have empty shop lots. I guess they are expecting more entrepreneurs and big names to come to town.
In any case, this does not change the spirit of Sabah. The people are as friendly as ever and I feel safe walking on the streets alone. During my walks, I have had many smiling faces which helped brightened my day. They certainly make me feel very welcome. I can see that although Sabah has been left out for many years from the major development in the 80s and 90s, it is soon catching up.
Imported items may either not be available in Sabah or if they are available, they tend to be a tad more expensive than in Peninsular Malaysia. However, despite of that, Sabahans tend to be quite contended with what they have. The “Me First” attitude is just not there and they are just happy to help. Everything is done with a human touch.
I remember the cab driver who took me back home from Changi Airport told me that Singaporeans have the “Me First” attitude and all they care about is themselves. I do agree with him. Singapore is seen as efficient and a no-nonsense city, which is true because most things are handled very clinically with military precision. Over the years, the human effect is no longer there. Things are getting a lot more costly in Singapore and thus everyone is out for themselves which is evident in their work attitude, during shopping and even when out eating. Singaporeans tend to try to spend as little to get the most benefits. The “Kiasu (literally translated as Scared Lose) and Kiasi (Scared Die)” attitude is the hallmark of a typical Singaporean probably because of the upbringing.
Any case, I shall end this with a more upbeat note. Sabah is like my second home. I certainly enjoy my stay there and enjoy the people I meet. I am missing Sabah already and I would certainly be back next year to explore more of the State.
To all Sabahans who are reading this, “Don’t Change, Be as you are and stay true to yourself.”
Like I said in one of my tweets and I mean it is “People in KK City may not have access to everything that we have in Singapore but they’re a happier and friendlier people. I miss Sabah”.
If the world adopts the lifestyle and mindset of the Sabahans, it would indeed be a better world.
The Donggongon in the Penampang District, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is an important town where the ethnic Kadazan-Dusun community makes up the majority. In the Kadazan language, Donggongon means “Shelter” or “Rest Area” and it is the major stopover place for the indigenous people of Sabah who journey down the hillsides to trade.
Thus needless to say, the Donggongon Market which opens on Thursday and Friday is a must-see destination for any visitors to Kota Kinabalu. This market sells mainly fresh and dried seafood,meats and vegetables and you can certainly get them at greatly discounted prices and an opportunity to mingle with the native Kadazan Community. Come early before the items on sale are sold out.
One of the many entrances to Donggongon Market
Vegetables, Melon, Durian, Corn, Pineapple and Lemongrass
Coconut
Mushrooms
Pineapple, Ginger, Lemongrass, Sweet Potatoes, Soursop and Palm fruit
Huge heap of Ginger
Local Vegetable – Sayur Pakis
Baby Radish
Dried Shrimps and Dried Anchovies and White Baits
Areca Nuts (aka Betel Nuts) or locally known as Pinang
Bambangan Fruit – A Mango Species which is big and very sour.
Oysters in the Bag
Lukan Shellfish
Traditional Herbs
Dried Salted Fish
Conch Meat and some other shellfish
Mud Crabs
Conch
Calms
Roast Pork and Charsiew
Fried Snacks
Tobacco
Big Meat Pau
Kailan with Flowers
Kadazan Delicacies
Needless to say, my trip to the Dongonggon Market was memorable. Bought a couple of interesting items to cook. I did buy several kilograms of Dried Shrimps and Salted Fish back home as it is really expensive here in Singapore. They are also a lot fresher in Sabah.
In the heart of Kota Kinabalu City Centre, you would find an abandoned set of pillars beautifully covered with art works, a permanent art gallery of sorts.
This used to be the former Land Office and Survey Office building which was completed in 1913 in Jesselton Town (now known as Kota Kinabalu). This building, the former General Post Office (now the Sabah Tourism Board) and the Atkinson Clock Tower were the only three pre-war buildings which survived the allied bombing which liberated North Borneo (now known as Sabah) during the Borneo Campaign of 1945 between 1 May and 1 August 1945. Although there were total devastation, this led to the Japanese Surrender on September 10, 1945
Sabah Tourism Building (formerly the General Post Office)
The Atkinson Clock Tower
The Land Office and Survey Office Building was later used by the Department of Social Welfare and the Society for the Blind. In 1992, a proposal was submitted by the Sabah Art Gallery to reuse the building as an Art Gallery but the wooden building was burnt down in the morning of December 31st 1992. What we see today is the concrete pillars of this historical building.
In a way, the plan did come true when the Art Community in Sabah took it upon themselves to add their artwork to the remaining structures that we see today.
Here are some pictures taken from the pillars structure. This building structure stands between the HSBC Bank Building and across the road from the ultra-modern Suria Sabah Shopping Complex.
If you happened to be in KK City, do drop by and admire the art works.
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